Sidney Smith declared that the Americans must have something in
them, for they had invented a new kind of wit, and the Times of Monday publishes an excellent illustration of the saying. A Yankee had just cured a chimney, and was telling a friend how it " drawed." " Pretty soon after we got the chimney down the other end up, I missed one of the chairs out of the room, and directly I see'd another of 'em shooting towards the fireplace. Next the table went, and I see the back log going up. Then I grabbed the old woman under one arm and the baby under Vother and started ; but just as I got to the door I see'd the cat going across the floor backwards, holding on with her claws to the carpet, yelling awfully. It wasn't no use. I just see her going over the top of the chimney, and that was the last of her." An Englishman telling the same story would not have troubled himself with the minute description of the attitude of the cat, which for the instant makes the absurdity seem possible.
Previous page
